in the Adriatic, and giving proper encouragement to commerce,
than she was careful and provident in reforming the economy of her
finances, maintaining a respectable body of forces, and guarding, by
defensive alliances, against the enterprise of his Prussian majesty, on
whose military power she looked with jealousy and distrust. In Holland,
all the authority and influence of the stadtholder were scarcely
sufficient to allay the ferments excited among the people by the
provisional taxation, which had succeeded the abolition of the patchers,
and was indeed very grievous to the subject. As this was no more than
a temporary expedient, the prince of Orange proposed a more equitable
plan, which was approved by the states, and established with great
difficulty. In Italy the system of politics seemed to change its
complexion. The king of Sardinia effected a match between one of the
infantas of Spain and the prince of Piedmont; and whether irritated by
the conduct of the Austrians in the last war, or apprehensive of such a
powerful neighbour in the Milanese, he engaged with the kings of France
and Spain in a defensive alliance, comprehending the king of the Two
Sicilies, the republic of Genoa, and the dukes of Modena and Parma.
His most catholic majesty, sincerely disposed to cultivate the arts
of peace, and encourage every measure that could contribute to the
advantage of his country, was no sooner released from the embarrassments
of war, than he began to execute plans of internal economy; to reduce
unnecessary pensions, discharge the debts contracted in the war,
replenish his arsenals, augment his navy, promote manufactures, and
encourage an active commerce by sea, the benefits of which the kingdom
of Spain had not known since the first discovery and conquest of the
West Indies.

{GEORGE II. 1727-1760}

INSOLENCE OF THE BARBARY CORSAIRS.

The preparations for refitting and increasing the navy of Spain were
carried on with such extraordinary vigour, that other nations believed
an expedition was intended against the corsairs of Algiers, who had for
some time grievously infested the trade and coasts of the Mediterranean.
The existence of this and other predatory republics, which entirely
subsist upon piracy and rapine, petty states of barbarous ruffians,
maintained as it were in the midst of powerful nations, which
they insult with impunity, and of which they even exact an annual
contribution, is a flagrant reproach upon